Before We Descend
by Shizune-hime
Summary: Tseng and Elena's moments in the Northern Crater, before encountering Loz, Yazoo & Kadaj. FINISHED! R&R.
1. The Walk

_**Author's Note:**_

… _This takes place in the AC(C) timeline – I figured I'd write something concerning Tseng and Elena's moments before the scene in AC(C) where they're up in the Northern Crater and gunshots are heard. I always wondered what they could have talked about before the gunshots were fired and everything went crazy from there. They didn't get much screen time, for me, and they're one of the most well-known Turks too, so I figured why not give them more credit. 3_

_**Now Playing:**__ "You" – Switchfoot. 3 I was listening to this yesterday and I realized how it fit the mood of this story._

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or its franchise, in any way possible. All characters and mentioned names belong to Square Enix. _

_----------_

**Chapter 1: **

**~The Walk~**

… This was the final frontier for them – at least, that's what Elena thought to herself.

She and Tseng were about to cross the bridge where there were rough, mini-cyclones that either threw them back, or off it, and the howls emanating from below seemed to be the voice of the planet itself. Elena pulled Tseng back, just in time before one of the small torpedoes could throw him off-balance … before she would lose him. Tseng quickly turned, quietly cleared his throat and held onto Elena, stepping back. Elena calmed him down, despite his natural state to be so. After counting quietly together, to time their run through the bridge, they reached the other end taking a deep breath of relief. Then onwards they went, through the terrain, searching for the hotspot they were asked to investigate.

Tseng wanted to keep her close by. He had a feeling in his gut that if this mission failed, he would never Elena again. Tseng had always appreciated Elena – even by just her presence, the way she carried herself, or the way she conversed with people. He even very much appreciated the way she dressed. He'd admitted to thinking of fellow female Turks the way Reno did, though he never exerted the same persona as the redhead. Elena was haughty, sometimes talked too much, but he didn't mind. He liked how she was very focused with her work, like now: she'd risk having a sprained wrist due to a mission concerning a drug lord, just to get this done.

Then his job crossed his mind. How long had he been in the Turks? … He couldn't count the years anymore. Nevertheless, he could clearly remember the days when Elena, still dressed up in pigtails and her school uniform, would drop by the Shinra building and walk around while waiting for her sister Revolver to come out from her work. Everyday, he would see her in the lobby, fidgeting with her cellphone and sometimes talking to friends and laughing along, or texting and giggling to herself. Those days, he still had shorter hair and had his hair in a ponytail – he chuckled at himself for still remembering every detail. Now, however, they were much older, much more obliged to do as the company would ask them to do because they were much more experienced. That didn't mean he wasn't afraid of anything anymore … he frowned at the thought of losing Elena. She was a good partner, in terms of getting the job done. But—

"Tseng…"

"Yes?"

"… Do you think we'll be able to make it back?"

… Tseng stopped in his tracks, from following Elena from behind. He listened to the faint wind, now far behind them, and slipped his hands in his pockets.

"I cannot assure that we will …" he replied. He had to be honest to her. He always was. "… You know what the reports say. Territorial beasts in our midst… clones… copies of Sephiroth himself. If they have his blood in them then that means we might die with just one strike."

Elena turned and approached him. "You're confident we'll die today? Right here?"

Tseng cleared his throat as she stepped in closer. "… It's a strong possibility."

Elena frowned. "You seem so sure, that's what."

"I'm only basing my hypotheses on the reports we've been handed." Tseng looked away from her, unable to look at her straight in the eye. He had thoughts about losing her – he knew somewhere along the way he would, but how … he didn't want to ponder on it. He resumed walking, passing by her, and Elena caught his arm just as he was about to walk far off. Tseng darted his eyes to her hand. "… Elena…"

"We'll make it out of here alive. And then Rufus will give us a big pay, and then we'll go out and have fun like we used to, with Reno and Rude." The Turk gave the director a smile, an encouraging one, one that tried to lift his spirits up. "And then we're going to help out Midgar, and be heroes, for once…"

Tseng snorted quietly at the remark, and half-smiled. He shook his head.

"What?" Elena said with a pout. "Not a good idea?"

He turned to face her and reached up to her cheek. In a second's time, Elena blushed at the contact, but didn't bat his hand away or yell at him. Instead, she softened to his touch, leaned into his hand. "Perfect idea. Makes you very much different from Revolver."

"Don't even start—"

"I was only kidding." The director grinned, and lowered his hand from her skin. He slicked his hair back and flipped his tresses over his shoulder. "I've learned not to mess with you, most especially. Revolver wouldn't be too happy with comparison either …"

Elena blinked. Then she grinned. She poked his side for every word she said: "… There's - something - you're - not - telling - me."

"There's nothing to tell." Tseng said, and cleared his throat.

"Oh? I say you're hiding certain things from me." Elena circled around him with a smirk on her face, her voice in a melodious tone. "Like, say… that you've always thought I'm better than my sister, in truth?"

"Who told you that?"

"Oh. Well, no one. Just a red bird." Elena laughed.

Tseng flushed. Why, of course. Who else, but Reno? Reno was always in on the gossip with his colleagues, regardless of the rank. And clearly Elena's source was him, and Tseng realized what Elena was talking about was that one night when he and the president, Reno, Rude, and a couple of the other male Turks went for a drink. Then men's talk ensued, and all of them – tipsy or not – started confessing what they thought of this certain lady Turk, and that certain lady Turk. Tseng was tempted to rub his face off of the scowl he was about to give her – he wanted to be canon, as everyone had thought him to be: serious, unmoving, refined … controlled.

Elena smirked wide as she only crossed her arms and walked past him, going on forward to their meant destination. Tseng, on the other hand, tried to muster the words to tell her what he really meant when he told Reno that, that night. He kept stuttering, to which Elena only chuckled, the volume of her amusement growing louder everytime he tried.

"You must have misinterpreted what Reno said," Tseng remarked, after he took a deep breath and managed to get his words right. "It's… not what you think.

She laughed loud, her voice bouncing off the walls. Elena wasn't really making fun of him – she was only joyful that Tseng was showing his humanity.

"So you _still_ think Revolver's better than me then?" The Turk asked with a pretending scowl. She wanted to get the answers right from Tseng. "… Hunh. Odd you would still think that way, then. My sister's not around anymore."

Tseng looked away and frowned. He was cornered. He didn't want to admit what he really thought of her, afraid that others would look at him differently. He was afraid that if his guard would be down, people would start circling around him like vultures and diving down and pecked until they got the answers from him. Not just about women – but other things: like the women he's dated before, if he's ever gone wild with drinking… until they got to more serious things like, what did he think of the company? Or of the other employees and heads of the departments. Like what Elena was doing. Only, much worse maybe. Reno was enough, so was Rude, and the President just as well. Even Elena, too. They were the ones who knew him the best, and if he'd tell them what they thought they wouldn't speak of it to others. But other people – he didn't want to involve himself so much, didn't want to put his guard down around them. He treasured his privacy.

But _could_ he even think of his privacy regarding matters of Elena now? She wanted to know what he really thought of her, though crude as she may have seemed with her asking.

Elena restrained a smile, and locked eyes with him. He couldn't return the gaze. "Well?" she asked with a grin.

… Tseng smiled. "Yes…" he started, "… in all honesty you are much better than your sister."

_He's serious,_ she thought, blinking her eyes. "… I see." She walked up to him. "Well then… In what aspects?" Elena asked, raising a brow as she stood at a distance.

Tseng pondered quietly. "Well… for starters… you're haughty…"

"How does _that_ make me better than her?" Elena laughed.

"The fact that you are very meticulous with things and you care about everything and everyone, that makes a difference. Revolver was… static, most days." Tseng shook his head. "It wasn't such a nice sight, sometimes. You know how to have fun, but value your work at the same time. She was an ace at being a workaholic. She'd take things as they came … you're detailed. You'd stand up to things if you know you couldn't do them or if it didn't feel right."

"You're talking about work ethics right there," Elena said. "You're avoiding the main theme of my interrogation!"

"I-I'm not—" Tseng said. When Elena noticed the slight change in his voice, as if he'd broken a vocal chord, she chuckled. Then Tseng cleared his throat and looked at her again. "I'm not."

Elena shook her head, sitting on a nearby rock. "You know… you amuse me."

Tseng's brow raised.

"You do. Mainly because… I'm starting to see your human side. I mean, not that you aren't human, but most days you're more like a manufactured Shinra robot than you are a part of the earth." Elena smiled. "… I can see through you."

"I'm not that transparent," Tseng noted. He turned his back to her.

The howling of the winds from behind them grew louder for a minute, and their eyes darted to the origin of the sound. They could see the skies become darker. Good thing Elena and Tseng were in a rather safe spot, sheltered enough, where the mini-cyclones couldn't hit them. It was getting cold too. Despite wearing her coat, Elena hugged herself, shivering with the cold. Tseng neared her and slipped out of his pocket a 3-paged report memorandum he had received from Rufus earlier.

"Hand me the memo you were given as well," he asked.

Elena blinked and without a word slipped hers out of her pocket as well. "What are you going to do with it?"

Then Tseng tore a page of his own up into pieces, and a page from Elena's as well, and took out his lighter and burned them. "Small campfire," he noted. "I hope this works."

Elena's brow raised at the sight. It wasn't enough to keep them warm, but it was worth a try. She slipped her arse off of the stone she was sitting on and sat next to him, helping to tear off pieces from pages but careful to save some to feed the flame, in case they were going to stay here until the winds slowed down. Both were silent, together, as they both tried to keep warm.

"… I'm not that transparent," Tseng repeated, "… because I've learned not to be."

Elena looked at him. She understood what he meant, however.

"It comes with the job … it is … or has become a work ethic, I suppose. That you learn not to reveal so much of yourself." Tseng cupped his hands and tried to keep the small flame alive. "… Being a Turk is … to be honest, full of cons. The only pro you get from it is a big pay. That's why most of the Turks didn't really have much of good pasts …" He blew the flame gently, to let it grow stronger for just a little bit. "Of course, the cons, as you know… or at least usually… it is guilt itself."

Elena thought of everyone else in the business. One by one, they raced through her mind.

"… Reno wasn't born privileged. He'd had it hard, growing up. He's been beaten up _and_ beaten up boys who've tried to rob him whenever he'd make an earning, which would be selling newspapers in the street or cleaning shoes … the whole deal. He's a stick of dynamite, a spitfire, growing up. Then Veld found him years later, half-dead in an alleyway." Tseng said. "Then there's Rude. Born rich, but he wanted to move out because his parents always fought, then separated. Father was accused of murder, his mother turned into an alcoholic, his sister being the only one to take care of things. So he thought joining the company and earning big would help his mother and sister change, stay alive…"

Elena blinked, and stared into the flame. A thousand thoughts sped through her. All that Tseng said made her think about being a Turk, about how she performed with her job. "… I never knew that."

"Almost all the Turks are born into poverty. Except, of course, most of the ladies. Shotgun, Knives … and as always, if any of the poverty-born joined the company, the reason would be because they want to support their family, or themselves, or make up for the sorry lives they've led before. I do not blame them for that, not once… in fact I am happy that they get the best of things out of working hard, out of the salary they are given. It shows they really do deserve a second chance."

"Weren't you born above the plate too?"

… Tseng frowned. Always, it was like this – that people would say he was rich, he could afford anything, why did he join the Turks in the first place? He nodded at Elena's question, and just as she spoke, asking why he joined the Turks, he answered immediately with his voice overpowering hers but calmly.

"My case was different. My father was a Shinra employee, and I would be at the firing ranges everytime. I met Rufus that time; he was a young boy then."

Elena tried to imagine what Rufus could have been like before, and more so the situation of how they probably met that day.

Tseng nodded. "… People told me I could do for a Turk, I was poised enough to be controlled and reserved and usually, they only based that because of my educational background. My father would usually be proud of how his son was such an achiever, but in reality… I didn't feel complete at all. One's educational attainment does not conclude how they perform in a real-life, life and death situation…" The director's eyes softened. " … It's a whole different world out there when you have guns in your hands and a phone to keep at your side. Very different from assessing papers and recruiting possible SOLDIER cadets."

Elena would know. She'd been a part of the Turks long enough to know the difference between the two. "I'd rather do paperwork, sometimes, to be honest," she remarked. "… I feel really bad for doing wipeouts sometimes. I …" She frowned. " … I can't say life was difficult for me before. I don't have a source for being disappointed with my life, I think. And … you do know how I grew up, so I don't think I can explain anymore."

"Regardless of your background… you are a refined lady, Elena." Tseng smiled, as he looked into the flame. "You may be haughty, but you do know where you stand. I'm envious of you … you grew up in a calm, happy household. But now you know where Reno gets his energy, hm?" Tseng chuckled. "Or at least those who are asked to do missions a lot. Or all of us, mainly. All those experiences before … that's where they draw their bloodlust from."

"What about you?" Elena asked. "You sound like you weren't happy growing up … where do _you_ get the strength to keep going?"

… Tseng paused for a moment, pondering on the question. He kept quiet and sat back on the ground, tucked his legs underneath him in a cross-legged fashion.


	2. Ethics

_**Author's Note:**_

… _I've checked some sources for Tseng's story, but so far the only ones stated were mostly for BC and CC, then onward to the main FF7 game, and AC/ACC. Not so much of his background._

_**Now Playing:** "Wind Crest ~The Three Trails~" –Takahito Eguchi & Noriko Matsueda, Shinko Ogata (OST: FFX-2 International + Last Mission)_

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or its franchise, in any way possible. All characters and mentioned names belong to Square Enix. Except for Trisha, a random character I made just for a part of the story._

_----------_

**Chapter 2: **

**~Ethics~**

"… _He was frowning. Like always. He fixed my toga; his firm was a little tight, and as much as possible I tried to keep myself in tact until he was done. _

"_You better have graduated. Made it to the top as the best Turk out there. Or else." He gave me a hard gaze and I couldn't help but stare right back. A tinge of fear shot up my spine, but I knew how to hold it together. "… You'll feel that belt you always feared."_

_We rode the sedan, off to the building. I couldn't help but look out the window as we passed through highways and machine faction-like areas. When we arrived, there were masses of people gathered in the lobby. It was jam-packed, everyone happy. Flashes of cameras, families together. Then the ceremony started. It lasted for 2 hours or so. Then people spewed back into the lobby and cheers were heard everywhere. _

"_Congratulations, Tseng." A firm and happy shake, a burst of laughter, greeted me as soon as the ceremony was over. He pulled me into a tight embrace, the smell of cigarettes faint from him. "I am _proud_ of you, my son!" It was my father's colleague at work; he seemed to be more of a father than mine ever was._

"_Ahh, well you know him. Always the perfectionist." He grinned. I wanted to spit in his face._

"_You should get into the Turks, Tseng! You'd easily make it to the top." One of my batchmates, Trisha smiled brightly at me, and reached up to give me a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best of the best, I heard! I always knew you'd make it."_

_I only smiled slightly and nodded. "… Thank you." _

_Trisha slipped out her digital camera and turned it on. She pointed it at my father and I. "Smile!" she cheerfully coaxed. I tried to put my best smile forward, not one that made me show my teeth joyfully, but one that was proper. My father had an arm around me and sad to say, I didn't feel too secure with it._

… _After a minute or so, we headed to a famous Wutai-themed inn just in downtown Midgar. It was me, Trisha, and my father. We ate at the buffet section. There were others from my batch of graduates that ate there - a lot of them. The dinner turned out calm, no arguments ensued. But it was very much obvious my father was trying to make an impression on Trisha that I was this and that, that I seemed to be the perfect, prim and proper, man in a suit. For the future, it seemed._

_Suddenly men in brown suits stormed into the restaurant. I didn't know why, but they surrounded occupied tables and even raised their guns, aimed them at everyone especially men who seemed to be fathers of the families who were there too… and we were all sent into a frenzy. Some went running, soldiers went into the back kitchens and upstairs into the rooms._

…_I can still remember how that day happened."_

_----------_

... Tseng was feeling tired. The trek to this point of the Northern Crater was exhausting, not to mention frustrating. Good thing they avoided the small gusts of wind, kept each other in balance. Now that they found a safe place and were sheltered, he leaned back against the obsidian-colored rocks and looked at Elena. "When was the first time you ever held a gun?"

Elena blinked. "Hm? Oh… well…" She looked up at the obsidian ceiling as if in thought. "The first time I ever held a gun was when I entered the academy…"

Tseng nodded. "I see. And… how did it feel?"

"It felt…" The female gathered her memories. "… Powerful, for me. Like I had gained a whole new ability to take control of my life." She looked at Tseng for a moment. "Why? Is something wrong?"

The director shook his head with a smile. "To each his own. Experience-wise, how we encounter things…" he said. A pause drifted by before he continued to speak. "… The first time I ever held a gun … I graduated from the Shinra Military Academy then. I was out with my father and a friend … and suddenly these men in brown suits stormed the restaurant we were eating at. They surrounded the whole place. Some of the families that ate there, mostly families of the graduates, their fathers ran off and out the restaurant. Our table was surrounded too."

Elena listened intently. "Who were they?"

"A triad." Tseng focused into the flame, feeding it with torn pieces of paper. "They asked everyone to drop to the floor; those who tried to escape, the fathers, especially, they were shot dead. So were a few other civilians. My father tried to help us escape, crawl away from the place… then the whole restaurant was in a frenzy. Gunshots everywhere, tear gas was released…"

Elena couldn't believe what she was listening to. Was this _really_ Tseng? She wondered how he could have managed such a quiet demeanor, especially in the years after the occurrences.

"One of the fathers who tried to shoot at one of the triad's men, he fell dead before he could even manage to shoot. A lot of the fathers were shooting at the triads, but most died, even some of the male customers and the staff of the restaurant were joining in on the crossfire. I managed to get the gun the man couldn't use… and tried to shoot at them… because they killed my father and friend."

"I…" Elena bit her lip. "… I'm so sorry." She glared softly at the flame. Uncalled for and subconsciously, she reached out for his hand and held it gently.

Tseng cleared his throat at the touch, but did not flinch or wince. "For my friend's and father's death?" He shook his head. "No need. My friend and everyone else innocent didn't deserve to die… but my father and everyone else who were dealing with being part of a triad deserve punishment." He then realized what he was trying to say and frowned slightly. "But then again… everyone has ways of keeping their families alive… especially when they feel all hope is lost…"

… Elena shook her head. "Wouldn't it be the same with how we are right now?" she said. "We exterminate and wipe out what we are told is evil… to protect those that matter to us most."

"Shinra is different."

"How is it _any_ different," Elena retorted. She stood up abruptly and walked over to a part of the area where the wind wafted in gently, as she leaned against the rocky wall. "We're underground. We live double lives… acting as bodyguards to protect whoever or whatever we're asked to protect, especially the president." The Turk paused for a moment, wondering about her own life, feeling her heart sink for a moment. "But under a dark sky, when the lights are out… we murder. We deal. We put our lives at risk, on the line, just to live a good life, usually based on material possessions… not values. What do we gain from murder? Nothing. Just karma in its very essence."

"We're taught to be strong," Tseng answered. "Have you forgotten? The value of strength, and _how_ to be strong. Whatever karma may bring. In this world, Elena, only the strong survive. Crab mentality."

"And yet without us knowing, we abuse that strength and step on others in the process. Does being strong have to mean you'd set your feelings aside too?... If that is what survival means, then I decide to back out of my work."

Tseng watched as Elena stood there, unwavered by the wind. He clearly understood the point she was getting at. The memory of Verdot telling him that personal feelings shouldn't be melded with your work was still fresh in his mind. "I am guessing you've always been thinking about leaving one day."

Elena softened. She had _always_ been wondering about leaving, always imagined the company – although disheveled now, but its employees especially the Turks – would survive without her. Sometimes it felt like it was only her, Tseng, Rufus, Reno, and Rude left in the company, regardless of the other Turks scattered everywhere in the world. But considering the company's connections and capacity to influence people, they would survive without her. They had no problem with losing people, or loss in general.

"… Not once has it not crossed my mind."

Elena's tone rendered Tseng silent, unmoving in his place as he tried to keep the fire alive. Tseng started wondering about his job as well, what it meant to be a Turk… what it meant now to be a part of the Shinra Electric Company. The company technically dissipated after the Sector 7 plate was destroyed; living became difficult for residents in Midgar, and the blame was thrusted at the company constantly. It didn't matter anymore if it was Reno's fault or that it could have been anyone else; the shattered company was left… well… _shattered._ Trust in them was broken, regardless of how many employees were left standing, left fighting for the company's dignity and reputation. Was it all worth it now?...

Tseng tried to push all thoughts aside and slipped out his phone. He flipped it open and checked his messages, but soon found that the signal was out and reckoned that the mist in the Northern Crater blocked all ties with nearby signal towers. It was just him and Elena now.

"… What about you?" Tseng asked. "I never really got to know the complete story."

Elena walked back to Tseng and sat beside him again. The fire died out, so she offered to light up a new flame with the torn pieces of paper she had, and a lighter she had kept in her inner suit pocket. When she managed to make a steady flame, she sighed quietly as Tseng helped keep it alive.

"Ever since I was little, there was always one thing I always wanted to do…"


	3. Affirmation

_**Author's Note:**_

… _Whew. This was a hard chapter to do, because I don't know much about Elena. So I had to bring up a source for her story, or at least enter a few bits from her story into this chapter. I tried really hard to portray her as best as I could… hopefully I did a good job here!_

_**Now Playing:**__ "When It Was Over" – Sara Groves_

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or its franchise, in any way possible. All characters and mentioned names belong to Square Enix. __ Except for Sophia, in this chapter,, a random character I made just for Elena's part._

_----------_

**Chapter 3: **

**~Affirmation~**

"… _I watched my sister hold the gun in her hand, and aim it at the targets ahead. The marked papers rolled on forward with a definite shriek of metal, one after another, and she shot each with multiple trigger pulls like she was born to do it. She had that smirk on her face as the barrel of her gun ejected each bullet for each shot, and despite the mufflers I was asked to wear… the sound was annoying. I couldn't leave, though. I "wasn't allowed"._

"_Your training begins tomorrow," one man in a suit next to her said. He had a scar on the left side of his face, near his jaw, and had loose but formal, brown tousled-back hair. He patted her shoulder and smiled a little. "I am Verdot." He held out his hand politely. "Congratulations. I am glad you've chosen to serve the company even after you've graduated the Shinra Military Academy."_

_My father embraced my sister tight. "You've treated your sport of using guns during your leisure time… I believe it's time you work for a well-trusted company and put your skill to good use!"_

_I watched as my sister bowed, shaking his hand. "I won't fail you, sir."_

She never did. Not once.

"_Ah, she never will! I trust you she will be the best among everybody else." My father grinned. I hated it. "She's too perfect to fail."_

"_I trust she won't," Verdot remarked. "I will see you tomorrow. Arrive early." Then he left the firing ranges, and my sister couldn't help but smile to herself as soon as the door clicked shut. My father gave her a tight embrace and laughed heartily, like there was no end to the moment. I only sat down on one of the benches and kept looking at my wristwatch. I thought they were wasting time._

_Well, eventually, they stopped embracing and we left the ranges… and headed for home. We had dinner and talked, but once the topic of the Shinra company and the meaning of excellence came up, I kept quiet. I wasn't intent on talking. My sister and father went off to bed, but I had other plans._

_Like any other night, even while I was studying and training at the academy, I made my way to the bar I worked at quietly. Every night spent there, I treat as a haven… with my books tucked in one side, and I would read whenever I got the chance. It was a way for me to get away from everything I've been told. Sometimes I even wondered if bartending was all I was meant to do, left to dream about travelling the world… imagining what it would be like to experience such a thing."_

_----------_

"… I always wanted to see the world, you know," Elena started quietly, "when I was much younger. I used to read all sorts of books on history, geography… I'd even read the maps my father gathered from his business travels, no matter how messy they looked like when I opened them." She fed a few more pieces of paper to the flame. "But he never took me along… he always asked my sister to accompany him, always asked her to do things for him… because apparently, she did them without any sort of flaw and was always so responsible."

She rolled her eyes – Tseng saw it, and only nodded slightly.

"And my sister didn't mind at all…" Elena continued, "she liked doing the work and was proud everytime, felt like she was raised up high…"

Tseng listened to Elena, realizing that for the years she stuck around and served the company, she was like this – haughty, always eager to do work though clumsy at times, always trying to smile… always trying to be happy.

"I was always thought of as not good enough… at least someone who never met one's expectations of me, was always set aside…" Elena continued. "… And yet I always tried to be the best I could be. Maybe I'm just not born to do any time of work. School, work, or whatever that could be. Except housework, of course…" She tried very hard to smile calmly, tried to lift the mood, regardless of the dark ambience.

Tseng slightly smiled at what she said, but not at all in the sense that he was making fun of her. But it was because he understood now why she was who she was, and was glad that he finally did all the more – more than how he understood her from the moment he met her, up to the moment before they were now here in the Northern Crater.

"My sister overpowered me. But… it was natural for her to do so. She was a perfectionist at heart… I suppose my father, being an instructor at the academy, helped her become that way. Makes me wonder why I couldn't be the same." Elena pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at the flame. "I mean, I was raised in the same household as they were… joined them in everything… I was close with my sister, you know. But that was before. I…" The Turk cleared her throat and half-smiled. "I guess growing up has its cons. But I don't know if working as a bartender in my high school years was ever a con." She grinned. "One of the bartenders, Sophia… she was really nice to me. She was more of a mother than… the mother I had, to be honest. She never yelled at me if I broke a glass or anything… but made sure I was responsible for myself and for what I was doing with my life. She taught me to stand up for myself… but the weird thing is, no matter how strong I wanted to be, or tried to be…" Elena shook her head again. "…I just wasn't like my sister."

"Your father was harsh with you, I reckon? He was known for being a terror teacher."

Elena nodded. "He was… especially with me. Didn't give me affection enough like my mother did, or like he did with my sister." Her eyes softened, sort of lost their glow as she stared into the fire. She felt drowsy for a second. "My sister was… far better. In all aspects. And everyone, ever since I was little, has been expecting the same from me." She faced Tseng. "I'm not her. I know, she graduated at the top of her class. But I'm not her. People should seriously stop comparing me to her…" She kept eye contact with him. "I'm sure that for all the years you've worked with her, you've compared me to her too, haven't you?"

The director couldn't deny that to himself. Elena's sister was a good Turk, shook his head. "You don't need that kind of inspiration, Elena… especially _not_ from the negativity people feed you, the kind you know will bring you down, drain your energy, and not lift your spirit," he said. "… I've never believed once that you were incapable of success."

Elena sighed, not caring anymore that Tseng held her hand gently now. "My life says otherwise." She shook her head. "Trust me, Tseng. You don't know what it was like."

"I may not know what you have been through exactly, but I can say it's never too late to keep living," Tseng answered. The grasp on Elena's hand tightened a little more as he looked at her. He felt some sort of empathy and care for her, and a voice in his mind started telling him it was just for the moment… not a feeling he tried to bury for the longest time. "You don't have to be the best at holding a gun, or the cleanest one with paperwork… you are a good person, Elena. I've always believed that, and believed in you."

… In a moment of silence the two kept eye contact, until the flame ran out. Tseng immediately tried to set the remaining pieces of paper on fire, but he found that the lighter ran out of butane already. Elena cleared her throat and sighed as she let go of his hand. "Well… that was quite unexpected." She cleared her throat. "Hearing something like that from a quiet person such as you."

"Even the quietest of people have such thoughts of others." Tseng stood up and proceeded to walk on, slipping the lighter back into his pocket.

Elena followed, smirking. "I guess the thought of who's better between me and my sister counts, then?"

When they came out of the obsidian-filled area and entered a high-ceilinged, stalactite-cave like perimeter, the winds were calm now. They could hear the sounds of water droplets echo all around them, and suddenly Tseng and Elena's phones suddenly beeped. They flipped their phones up at the same time and checked: it was a message from Reno.

"_**2 kilometers up ahead, yo. Coast is clear! **_

–_**R"**_

"Hm…" Tseng closed his phone and looked up ahead. He saw the exit, and that far beyond, a distinct mist blanketed the area, leaving Elena anxious.

"… Tseng…" Elena called. He turned around and faced her. "I may be wrong, but… something tells me… well, my gut tells me… that if we don't make it—"

Just then, Tseng stepped forward and kissed her forehead, a gentle hand on her lower back to keep her close. "I know."

Elena blushed. She had always liked Tseng, and even Rufus knew she had a crush on Tseng for quite the longest time now. It wasn't that she tried to deny it, it was just rather embarrassing that anyone would acknowledge that in public whenever she was around… which, was almost everytime, especially when Rufus invited his Turks out for drinks. But seeing as how it was just the two of them, and the situation was probably going to be their last mission together, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her forehead against his chin.

"… Thank you."

Tseng held her, the hand on Elena's lower back clutching her coat, pulling her closer. Elena leaned her cheek on his chest as she closed her eyes, trying to listen to his heartbeat. Who would ever guess she could come this close to a reserved man such as Tseng? She didn't. Not at all. Especially not on a day like this.

"… I always had eyes for you, you know." Tseng's voice was soft, comforting, and he looked down at Elena, his eyes locking with hers. "I just… I suppose comparison was always an issue. Have you compared me to any of the guys you've dated?"

"You?" Elena chuckled. "All the time. You're nothing like them."

A frown crossed Tseng's lips.—

"… And they're nothing like you." Elena beamed and smiled up at him, and poked his sides as she coaxed at him teasingly, seeing a faint tint of pink stain his cheeks. "And I did it again!" She said, grinning.

Tseng cleared his throat and brought a hand up to brush a lock of hair away from her face. "Reno likes you, you know," he said. "Do… you feel the same?"

"He's not my type." Elena rolled her eyes. "Never was." Her eyes darted to the exit of the cave, which led to their main destination. She took a deep breath and looked back at Tseng. "Shall we go? Don't want to disappoint the boss…"

Tseng, his hold on Elena gentle and secure, and he took her hand as he realized this was it. No more turning back. He felt that deep sulking feeling in his chest, the one that told him this was the final frontier in itself.

He looked at her and nodded. "Let's go."


End file.
